Five guarantees introduced to follow principle of social justice: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the five guarantee schemes of his government were introduced to follow the principle of social justice in the accumulation of wealth and its distribution.
Addressing people on the occasion of 77th Independence Day from the Sam Manekshaw Parade Ground, Siddaramaiah pointed out that the people of Karnataka realised that development can be possible only if there is peace in the society.
Explaining the reason behind introducing the five guarantees, he said due to neo-liberalism, the gap between haves and have-nots started widening. In India, today 10 per cent people control 70 per cent of our resources, he claimed.
"During colonial era, the British rulers plundered the country but now the resources are getting accumulated with a few capitalists. In this situation can development be possible?" he wondered.
"Keeping this in mind, we are following the principle of social justice in the accumulation of wealth and its distribution. Hence, we introduced the five guarantees," the CM said.
The Congress government decided to formulate the five guarantees, which is founded on Universal Basic Income (UBI) to elevate the socio-economic position of the people. Along with that, the government has taken price rise, unemployment, discrimination based on caste and religion and corruption seriously.
"We took the decision to implement these schemes in the first cabinet meeting and introduced them within three weeks of government formation."
Under the 'Shakti' scheme, daily 50 to 60 lakh women passengers are availing the free bus services in the state, he said and added that so far 38.54 crore free rides have been registered.
Siddaramaiah further said that under the 'Gruha Jyothi' scheme, which promises 200 units of free electricity to households, 1.49 crore families have registered online. People are availing benefits of this scheme from August 1. The state has earmarked Rs 13,910 crore for its implementation.
On the Anna Bhagya scheme, the Chief Minister said the government had promised to provide 10 kg rice under the programme to ensure a hunger-free state.
Owing to the 'non-cooperation' of the Centre to provide an additional five kg rice, Siddaramaiah said his government decided to pay cash instead of five kg rice to each beneficiary every month.
According to him, 1.04 crore families are receiving financial assistance under the Anna Bhagya scheme.
Regarding 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme, which provides Rs 2,000 per month to the women head of the families, Siddaramaiah said the Direct Benefit Transfer into the accounts of women will commence on August 27. He noted that 1.08 crore women have enrolled themselves under the scheme.
Remembering the freedom-fighters, the CM said the people of the country are enjoying independence due to the sacrifices of thousands of people who did not care for their life to rid the country of slavery.
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Private bus operators in Karnataka to hike fares by 20-30 pc after fuel price rise
Bengaluru (PTI): In the wake of the hike in fuel prices, private bus operators have decided to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, effective from Friday midnight.
They have also called for government subsidies, a reduction in cess, and lower road taxes to improve the situation.
"The situation for bus owners in the state is already distressing due to high road tax and the impact of the Shakti scheme (free bus travel for women in government buses). On top of this, fuel prices have increased," Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association President S Nataraj Sharma said.
"This will impose a burden of Rs 15,000 per vehicle per month on bus owners. If an owner has three buses, the burden will be Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 per month," he added.
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Speaking to reporters, he said the situation has made it inevitable for owners to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, under current conditions.
The increase may be roughly Rs 200 per seat, he added.
"For example, the current bus fare from Bengaluru to Belagavi is around Rs 1,000–Rs 1,200, which is likely to rise to Rs 1,350–Rs 1,400. Similarly, fares from Bengaluru to Mangaluru or Udupi currently range from Rs 900–Rs 1,000 and are expected to go up to Rs 1,100–Rs 1,200," he said.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
